Olham

Normally, Baumer is a very good ace. He must have just been too impressed by your skin. A very beautiful plane!

Yes, Cosmo, we have Arco's for breakfast, second breakfast, lunch etc. I think, the first better plane for the Brits were the Scout, or then the Sopwith Pup. But they have some dangerous two-seaters. Why not sign there?

I should think, it's alright. We Germans receive 4 or 5 Iron Crosses, before we get the Blue Max. So, your Victoria Cross should soon be with you.

Bullet, I think, the D Va has more horse power, and 1.100 rounds instead of 1.000 I must admit, that I don't know better at this moment - I must check. Rickity - at least you try! And it's not that wrong - it's understood. German is one of the very difficult languages. Even German kids in school have problems. It starts, were you say "the". The sun, the moon, the child. We say: Die Sonne, der Mond, das Kind. Don't ask me why...

You were right, Bullet! Those "Kommisköppe" (army blockheads) were upset! As they couldn't really do very much - I shot those SPADs down, that attacked one of our fields - they decided to give me only 3 from 7 claims confirmed! Man, am I upset! Next time I'll make sure it's a bomber with full load, that I'll shoot right into the CO's office building!

Today, I installed patch 1.30 and then 1.30c and Hardcore 1.30c (before: 1.28a and Hardcore) I did intensive test flying with an Albatros D Va, concentrating on the upper right corner with the warnings. I noticed, that the warning "airframe stress" (or so) appeared only, when I did very rude manoeuvers. I noticed, that I don't go that far with all my moves, that it would appear at all. But then, I challenged it, forced it to happen. Steep dives etc. Nothing broke up, still. Not once. My flying style was still too careful. Now I did a vertical dive; and only now, after some sqeeking awful noise and the warning, a wing broke. So, now I'm confused a bit. I must have mistaken midair collisions for breaking up planes then? I always thought, you get a text line saying: "you collided with another craft" or such? Or did it appear, and I didn't see it in the heat of the moment? Am I getting old??? (Lol!!!) So, in deepest shame, I beg your pardon, devs; especially you, Pol, for all the "ZZZZzzz"-test-flying. She is my lady again. The most beautiful plane of all.

Cosmos - my advice: sign in a second pilot; in 1918; in the area Cambrai or Reims. If you still don't see any enemies, you will know, something is wrong. Were are you stationed now? There are areas, that aren't covered by enemies, in early 1916. You could then only try it elsewere.

Yes, Hasse Wind, she is a beautiful lady! Today I did this: I patched the game to 1.30, then to 1.30c, and then to Hardcore 1.30c. (Before: 1.28a and Hardcore) Then I did some intensive testing in QC. I noticed, that I'm flying more careful than necessary. The warning didn't even appear yet, when I reacted careful on screaking noise in the structure. So, I'm flying her really well. But: nothing broke up. It just didn't happen. Not once. Even when I got a bit rougher with her; even at a 30° dive, nothing broke up! After that, I dared to continue my campaign in Jasta 9. All was fine - not a single problem! Now I'm wondering, if it might be possible, that all those breaking up planes could have been mid air collisions? Does one get an obvious writing, saying: midair collision? Or does it look like a breaking up plane? In that case I beg your pardon, devs, and especially you, Pol, for all your testing. Sorry. But now I'm happy! She is my Lady, definitely. And together, we killed 4 SPAD XIII in one sortie. It must be love...

The gunsight isn't really worse than on the early Nupes, and the overall view is wonderful. You must let go any idea of aiming over a gunsight, a crosshair or such. Learn to know, were your bullets go, and then get the enemy plane into that spot. When you got that understood, you will be able to do an incredible deflection shooting.

Yes, MacLroy, I had that happening too. And I tell you what - it's so hard to make the 17 hours, or 12 confirmed kills, that I didn't bother. I didn't want the team to jump on that and eliminate it. Imagine it being lucky streaks. As Hellshade said: they'll be over sooner than you think.

Cosmos, sign somewere near Arras or Albert, pick the date in September or later in 1916. You will encounter German Halberstadts and Albatros DI and DII. You may even meet the early Manfred von Richthofen with Jasta 2. If you want real action, you shouldn't sign before "Bloody April" 1917; and really crowded does it get in 1918. You must not start at the earliest date possible. You won't survive the whole war anyway. Believe me.

I-LIKE-THEM! Hadn't tried them much, as they only have one gun. But then I thought, well, the Allied have only one, so why not? I like the plane's stability and it's good climb. When you do the right tactics and are not too outnumbered, you'll manage to kill Nupe 11s with this plane! One of my five campaign pilots flies Halberstadt now.

Well, Duce, the part after touchdown is problematic; they seem to loose the ability to "know" were the others are. But in my case (see thread "Halberstadts happily landing"), it almost all worked well. They rolled in various angles, so they couldn't collide.

Julian: In RB3d I killed Albert Ball, Billy Bishop, Raoul Lufberry, René Fonck, Georges Guynemer and Robert Little in one career. My total tally: 153 Now I would really like to do this again in OFF... Aherrmm! I'm afraid, Sir, that this is a simulation - not a fun fair caroussel (Lol!)

Great designs, RABU, but wouldn't pics of the sim planes and air combat be attracting the right people more? (And, on the German card, it should be: Unbestätigte Abschüsse verboten!)

What I meant, was rather have T-Shirts for us OFF pilots to wear outdoors, and maybe make people curious. I didn't mean to sell them to others. We could do several designs (everyone who feels fit to do one, should), and then everyone can down- load/copy a design of their likes, and go to the next big copyshop. There, you can get a kind of decal paper copied onto, which you can iron onto a white T-shirt then. It doesn't last too long though, after several washings, it wears off. Of course, printed would be better.

If you find me childish now, well, I may often be just like a big boy; but it really makes me SO HAPPY, when after a stressful flight, our planes land safe again. We had attacked an Allied airfield near Albert, and we got pretty shaken by Flak. But only one Albatros DII was missing later; an outcome, that I think is quite good for that sort of attack. And despite the stuff I read about crash landings, I must say, that 7 from 8 planes returning, made the landing absolutely great and well! (One Halberstadt crashed into a tree). Hope, you may enjoy other but combat pics here - just pictures of a safe landing.

Are you really such a butcher, Julian? Does it not satisfy the fighter pilot in you, that you shot him down? If I fly the Allied side, and get the chance to send Hermann Goering into the mud more than once, I will happily do so! And into the mud again, Herr Meier (or was it Mueller, he wanted to be called, once the British bombers appeared over Berlin? Herr Großmaul [bigmouth] would also fit nicely!)

Hey, Hauksbee! I have just visited your website briefly (will have a closer look later). The dinosaur looks great! When you make T-Shirts - that could be something to do for OFF! I will try to make some designs - perhaps you can get them printed? PS: those Panzers, are they made for games?

Especially with the Albatros, I often seem to put her to a lot of "airframe stress", which may be "counted and summarized" by the program. So, even if I made it to the field in one piece, my lady may have to be "restructured", and the mechanics may curse me.

There are several aces flying Albatros with an all-black fuselage. Hermann Goering was one, Franz Ray (I think) also, he had a yellow/black tail. You need to collect more details to find out; from his plane, but also those of his wingmen. With "multicoloured", do you mean the Lozenge (polygon) camouflage? Which time in war was it? The easiest way though would be to switch labels on shortly, to read, and off again. But if you want to go the hard way: google for the program "DXTBmb", it's free for download. With that, you can browse through and open the skins. Maybe you'll find him. That way, you will realise, how incredibly many skins the team has made on Albatros alone. The skins are in the game folder > campaign > campaign data > skins The outcome of your downing of an ace will not influence history. The ace can be shot down, but he always survives it and comes back, until the bell tolls for him. But nevertheless can you be proud on shooting him down, and add that to the report.

Well, Prophead, now you know the easy bit of air combat - dying. Next time, try to last a little longer. It may take all the brothers of Cecil and Cyril, too, to find one 17 hour pilot among them.

Hi, Macklroy! For the claims, the facts seem to be most important. Type of craft, markings or Squadron/Esc./Jasta, when and were shot down; ace name known? You don't get all claims confirmed, when during the fighting your wingmen got carried away or die. If you had 3 kills, but after the first, no one's there anymore to witness, you will get only 1 confirmed. Ground crew doesn't count, it seems. And be careful with your wingman. A guy, who is on leave so often, may be a relative of the general? PS: please report, which claims worked better.

Sergeant Wildfowler! If you think, you only have to pretend to be an idiot, and we will let you on the ground to peel the spuds, you must think, we're idiots. A man who doesn't want to climb into a crate of wood and canvas, only to be shot at from twin Spandaus, can't be stupid! What you're lacking, is simply overview! Situational awareness! A pilot's life insurance up there. So, now you signed in, you better learn to keep your eyes open, and recognize, what they see! And believe me - once you're up there, you will never understand no more, how you could dream of peeling the spuds in the canteen kitchen. Dismissed!

A Dsherrmann hangar??! Me - destroyed???!!!! How could I do such terrible ssings to my Kaiser's equipment? I am an officer and gentleman pilot, mein Herr! Vee shoot down SPADs!!! But, vell, if you vant to split hairs - if you meant a shot SPAD, crashink into zatt hangar - because it's dyink pilot cramped - now, zatt is not in my hands, but his. French are famous for zeir cookink, right? For zeir wines! For l'amour ! (blush!) But not for pilotink, right?